The effects of the sleeping pill had mostly worn off. Arden slid into a more natural sleep, and because of that, he dreamed.
The hazy images were terrifying. He was struggling under a large and heavy weight. No matter what he did, he couldn’t free himself.
All of a sudden, the indefinable mass on top of him grew many clawing hands, touching him all over. He was scared, and it hurt everywhere. The combined sensations made him feel sick.
He struggled even more to get away, but he was just so weak, so powerless.
And then… something seemed to change in the dream. The air felt lighter, no longer suppressive.
Before he knew it, the great weight had already transformed into something softer, something far more bearable.
What’s more, he found that it was welcome.
Perhaps that’s because he
